The Final Act
by MissLudenberg
Summary: The last scene of Kyoko Sakura's play didn't necessarily have to be sad. "Come on, Sayaka… We're going home." Spoilers for Episode 9.


**I do not own Madoka Magica or the inspiration for this scene.**

The Final Act 

_The last scene of Kyoko Sakura's play didn't necessarily have to be sad. "Come on, Sayaka…We're going home." KyoSaya. Spoilers for Episode 9. _

A familiar clatter of the striking red spear echoed behind the raven-haired girl. Homura, with an unconscious Madoka still lightly draped in her arms, turned her head around over her shoulder to face the sight of the fallen redhead still recovering from her injuries.

"Kyoko!" Homura exclaimed, in a mix of shock and fear as a thick lump pressed against her throat.

Kyoko grunted in pain, trying to ignore the agony of her newly-claimed wounds before she managed to weakly stand, back still turned to Homura. "That girl…take her with you…I was stupid enough to bring her along, anyway…"

Homura was about to say something else through her gritted teeth, but was faced with the scarlet barrier of squares that suddenly appeared before her eyes. She bit her lip as she realised that she could only save one person tonight, one person that wasn't going to be Kyoko. With realisation of what Kyoko was about to do and the knowledge that Madoka wasn't awake to notice her, Homura allowed herself a crestfallen expression and the luxury of violet eyes glazed over with a moist coat of warm tears.

"We can't fight with hindrances to block us, can't we?" Kyoko gestured her head towards Madoka as she half-turned to Homura behind the barrier.

Before Homura could acknowledge that she had no objections to her previous words, Kyoko spoke again. "It's okay. You were right. 'Protect the one you want to protect, right until the very end'," Homura spared a glance below her at Madoka, the sleeping girl that just wanted to save her friend. She realised then, that her devotion to saving the gentle pinkette was reminiscent to Kyoko's feelings towards Sayaka, and Homura finally understood the true softness behind the red-clad girl's natural shield.

For one moment, Homura wondered whether she should have tried befriending Kyoko as well, as at the same time she regretted not doing anything to prevent this tragedy even though it was almost as certain as fate.

Kyoko let a slight chuckle escape her lips, the corner of the soft ruby skin curling up and her eyebrows rising with the vibration of the laugh. "That's funny; and here I thought that's exactly what I was doing until now…"

With a sharp tug of the satin ribbon tied into her ponytail, Kyoko's hair flew loose along with the golden hairpin she hadn't seen the gleam of in a very long time. She grabbed a hold of it, and with both of her palms embracing the cool of the metal, she gracefully fell to her knees and began to pray, towards and for, the witch before her. Kyoko clasped her hairpin tightly to her chest where her soul gem was attached, and dropped her eyelids at the bitterly comforting energy that emitted from the fusion of the two together—the beginning of the final act of her play.

"Go!" Kyoko forcedly choked out to the Puella Magi behind her, bravely trying to conceal the thickness that edged her voice. "…I'll take care of her."

Homura let out a small whimper of distress and nodded her head, picking herself up along with Madoka and dashing out of Oktavia's labyrinth as fast as she could in acceptance of the fact that saving Madoka was her only goal now—it was too late for anyone else. Behind her, she heard the metallic sounds of giant spears crashing upwards and the whirring of extravagant magical energy; probably the most powerful attack Homura had ever witnessed in her life and the most powerful attack Kyoko would ever use.

Kyoko didn't care about anything other than the fact that now her existence would be of value, that she had finally saved someone again and that her love of justice was finally awakened after so long. And now, Sayaka, the one single girl who had done all of this for her in less than a month, would be repaid. Her soul would be at peace, and Kyoko would be genuinely happy. She would finally have a friend.

The great spears Kyoko had generated circled around the one girl and the witch in anticipation of attack. The fiery redhead soon found herself being levitated as her weight was carried by more of the impressive weapons rising under her. Kyoko drew a deep breath as she noticed her stage finish being formed and ready for the performance.

"…Don't worry, Sayaka…" Kyoko softly reassured, hair gently carried behind her along with the pieces of the floor floating upward by the sheer force of magic used. "I'm not going to leave you behind…"

Kyoko peered beyond the metal end of the giant spear she was resting on, directly at the witch that had stopped attacking her. If Kyoko could allow herself to dream, it was almost as if Sayaka were hearing her words at that moment. She grinned, a happy tear pricking at her eye that she still refused to let out.

"It's okay; I'll stay here with you…Sayaka."

With her last words spoken, Kyoko unfolded her hands, brought her hairpin-soul gem to her lips and placed a delicate kiss onto the cold glowing jewel. She remained in that beautiful position as she mentally prepared herself for the culmination of the piece, before letting go of her soul gem and throwing it high into the air in front of her. Kyoko quickly shot up, created a smaller replica spear next to her that allowed her to wield it and leapt towards the direction of both the soul gem and the end of the spear under her pointed at Oktavia.

A sudden blast of power erupted from Kyoko's spear that she cast in her hands. At exactly the same time, the rest of the attack began to gather energy as Kyoko, struggling not to be blown backwards, watched the world turn white around her.

This moment… knowing that everything was going to be okay, knowing that Sayaka wasn't going to be alone anymore, knowing that her life wasn't worthless in the end…was the happiest moment of Kyoko's life.

Oktavia had frozen from the blinding light. Kyoko beamed, one delighted tear rolling down the course of her cheek as she welcomed her last moments. She was ready.

The impact had hit Kyoko's soul gem so fast she didn't even notice it. The exquisite jewel never stopped shining, even until the very end, when it was shattered to pieces under the strength of the magic.

_Clink. _

There was a vibrant scarlet glow at the centre and a deafening screech of electricity. Everything colossally exploded, destroying Oktavia, her labyrinth, the spears and Kyoko's battered body. A white glow devoured the remains of the final attack and what used to be the scene of a broken hope, the sound so piercing that it had reached the stage where it couldn't be heard by human ears anymore. It was finished.

The play was finished.

Now it was time for the curtain call.

Water filled the empty space. Bubbles floated skyward, as if they were desperate to escape the scene. The glimmering light above reflected underwater, the dark depths of the ocean that placed a contrast to the world above. Still, slowly being dragged downward by the pull of gravity, Sayaka Miki gradually was sinking in the waters, eyes closed and her soulless body unable to save.

A ripple from up over her head.

Someone, in a blurry cascade of red, was swimming down towards to her. Before Sayaka could sense anything through her blocked perception, fingers entwined her own and a warm hand slipped into her grasp. The girl in front of her stopped swimming, feeling herself beginning to drown together with her friend. Sayaka creased her forehead, tears slipping from the corners of her eyes as she managed to weakly open them to Kyoko's face inches from her own.

Kyoko spared a salty tear from her eye too as she smiled in reassurance. "Come on, Sayaka…" She held her other hand and waited until the world faded to a hazy glow and the suffocating waters finally disappeared away.

"…We're going home."


End file.
